Miko No Byakko
by boldlines
Summary: This story details the adventures of Suzuno, the priestess of Byakko!
1. The Eye of the Tiger

**The Eye of the Tiger**

"Suzuno…" she heard in the distance the faint cooing of her mother. "Suzuno…"

"Mother?" she called back. "Mother? Where are you?" Her voice echoed in the darkness. She strained her eyes to find the figure that called her name. "Mother are you there?"

From the darkness of her dream shimmered a grove of cherry blossom trees. The path before her was carpeted in soft, sweet grass. Only one pair of footsteps marred its newness. She walked down the path. The trees stirred at the will of the wind as her eyebrows lowered. She had had this dream before. She'd never find her mother. She reached down and picked a dandelion from the base of a cherry blossom tree. She ran her fingers over the downy tuft.

She looked towards the end of the path; one she could only pretend was there. No, this dream would fade away like every other. Her mother would never be at the end of the path. The wind picked up and the cottony tufts flew away. She woke up. Her eyes stared at the ceiling, her palette feeling suddenly uncomfortable. 'How many times have I awoken from the dream?' she wondered. Her eyelids felt heavy and the threat of tears stung her sight.

'And yet I cry every time for the end of the dream.'

"Suzuno! Time to get up!" Her father appeared in the doorway and she quickly turned over to conceal her tears. "Suzuno?" For a moment she thought he had seen her and shut her eyes quickly to let the last of her tears drop to the palette. She heard his footsteps approach from behind her. The weight of his hand laid into her side. Then his fingers tickled her.

"Wake up Suzuno! Wake up or the monster will get you!" She burst into helpless giggles, laughing so hard that her sides hurt. Tears of mirth concealed her tears of sadness. She flipped onto her stomach and her father grinned. "That's one way to wake up a high school student who's trying to sleep in on a school day." She looked into his face and smiled. Though half-hearted, her smile was derived out of pure happiness that her father would always be there for her.

She loved the tickle monster bit he did when she wouldn't wake up. She shook her head and sat up. "All right, I'm up, I'm up." She smiled warmly as her father left the room. She stood before her mirror, not looking in right away. Instead she closed her eyes, like every morning and wished…

"Please, let me beautiful." She said and, skeptical of whether she'd look any different, opened her eyes to see her assumptions confirmed. She was no different than she had been yesterday morning. She scoffed as her eyes slid over her features. Her plain brown hair fell over her back, long and…well…plain. Most of her features were plain right down to her brown eyes. She raised her eyebrows and turned to look at her butt. 'Nope, still average looking…everything average.' she thought to herself.

She left home at the usual time, walking to school by herself, also the usual. Of course, she didn't mind. She had a few friends in the theater program, but they lived further into town. It'd be a stretch to come see her. It was good to have time to gather thoughts and think of the day's lessons before school. But finally getting to see her friends and working with them was the most fun.

She controlled the elements of every theater production in the sound and light booth, high above the stage. She couldn't wait until the talent show this coming week when she could watch all of the talents in the school sing and dance on stage, all under her light and sound specifications. Creating the mood was her specialty but she hated performing. She couldn't stand it.

Besides, she wasn't a dancer or a singer. She was a painter and a writer. She loved to create things and be able to keep them private. Suzuno had always been an introvert and she knew it. But she had no need to be publicly outgoing. She had all the friends she needed. As her father had put it "A few life-long friends is better than friends who will leave you in the dust." She looked at the slowly rising sun and smiled.

She would rather face the sunrises in quiet contemplation anyway. She closed her eyes, inhaling the fresh sunshine and the accompanying morning breeze. Today would be a good day; she was convinced. The wind rustled her braids, the three of them patting her on the back. The fall was always layered beautifully, colorwise and soundwise. There was so much to take in when the leaves turned colors and the sun blazed the treetops in orange. The days were cool and the rustling of animals getting ready for winter and the distant flapping of birds' wings ornamented the whistling zephyr.

But in her pause she felt something…something different. Perhaps it was the unusual warmth of the morning. The sun poured directly at her and bathed her wholly. She realized it was so bright that she had to cover her face. She closed her eyes and burning beneath her eyelids was the shape of an eye, blazing bright orange. The eye disappeared and she opened her eyes to see the sun at its normal brightness.

Her breathing quickened. What was this strange force around her? As she thought the question, a low thumping sounded from beneath the other noises of the world. At first she thought it could have been a woodpecker hammering at some soft wet wood. But the sound was softer and lower, encased in something. Her eyebrows lowered in consideration, her eyes closing again.

Purring. Was there a cat nearby? She turned her ear to the wind. Where was it coming from? Her ears twitched as she sharpened the sense. There _was_ a cat nearby. Her eyes slid open and she looked around her. The world seemed to stand still. The purring rose in volume, reminding her of the rise and fall of the call of a cicada. It grew to a frightfully loud roar. Her schoolbag fell to the ground and her hands flew to her ears.

But just as soon as it had risen to her attention, the roar was gone. Her hands fell at her sides, trembling with fear. Her eyes were wide and alert as she bent to retrieve her bag from the ground. She ran down the path towards the city. When school loomed into view, she pressed herself against the sun-washed brick wall outside of the front entrance. The schoolyard was dotted with scores of girls waiting for the bell to ring. They were all chattering the latest gossip.

She looked out over the crowd. Her attention was caught by a girl's voice behind her. "Suzuno!" Hearing her name from her best friend's lips made her smile and regain some of her composure.

"Camille." Suzuno smiled and turned to meet her. Camille was the everyday mess she usually was. Her hair wasn't combed; her books and papers were half in her arms and half in her school bag. She wore two different stockings. Suzuno shook her head as her friend greeted her with a light-book in hand.

"We have to review the light-book, they've added another act to the talent show." Camille said with concern and need for immediate attention in her voice.

"Well, here, let me take it. I'll take a look. Are there notes from the talent that's performing?" I asked. I took the thick book of paper from her hands and she raked her fingers through her hair.

"It's somewhere." She threw her hands into her school bag, several other papers falling out of her arms as she did so. Suzuno caught them, snickering a bit at her friend's organization skills, or rather lack there of. "Ah! Here it is!" She held out two sheets of paper stapled together in the upper left-hand corner. She smiled; probably glad she could find something in the mess that was bundled in her arms.

"Well I'll get on that and get right back to you, all right?" Suzuno shook her head again as Camille's hold on her school bag buckled. She dropped to her knees and began regathering her stacks of paper. "And let's try and clean you up before lunch okay?" Suzuno giggled and Camille joined in.

"Thanks Suzuno. See you later!" She disappeared in a flurry of paper, pencils, and other accessories. Suzuno slipped the light-book and notes into her bag. The morning bell rang and she was off to class.

The remainder of the day was spent in the normal step of things, class, class, lunch, study hall, class and more class. Study hall and lunch were the best part of the day. Suzuno also enjoyed English class. She was fluent in English, her peers were always jealous when she answered questions with the perfect accent and grammar. But she liked being a bit of a show off. Her intellect, she was convinced, was the only redeemable part of her.

"Oy, Suzuno!" She heard another familiar voice in Study Hall. Alan waved his arms from across the room. He was decently dressed in a pair of long black slacks and a button down dark blue shirt.

"What's the occasion?" Suzuno said as she brought her things over beside Alan's seat.

"I'm making a presentation tonight at open house. The drama club has a table there." He nodded. "Yup I'm a big star now." He grinned. "I get a microphone and everything." He flashed her a cheesy grin. She viewed Alan as a brother and nothing more. But he did look handsome in his outfit today. She neglected to tell him so, being frightfully shy as it was.

"Why didn't Mr. Suzawa ask you to help. You're a veteran of two years." He knew very well why Suzuno didn't do public presentations.

"Well you know how I am with crowds." Suzuno said, leaving it at that.

"Yeah," Alan replied and went back to his work. But minutes later he was casting glances that she noticed out of the corner of her eye.

"What?" She finally snapped. "What is it?" She looked at him, half expecting him to say something stupid.

"You're pretty that's all." He said, his eyes showing no evidence of a joke. Suzuno's own eyes glittered as her cheeks turned a deep scarlet. But carefully trying to cloak her embarrassment, she treated it as a joke and smacked Alan on the back of the head.

"Baka! I'm trying to study, don't bother me." She turned towards her notes again and continued writing absentmindedly. 'Ridiculous.' She told herself. 'It _has_ to be a joke.'

"Suzuno," she heard from the doorway behind her. Junya smiled in all her pretty glory from the doorway and trotted her perfect, shapely figure towards their seats.

"Junya. How did your exam go?" Suzuno referred to one that Junya was scheduled to take as a practice exam for an overseas college.

"Fine, no problem!" She waved off the exam as if it were nothing. She plopped down beside them. She pulled out a sandwich from her bag and began chomping on it. For as perfect as Junya's figure was, her one weakness was food. She was always constantly eating. Suzuno seized her bottle of water from her bag and took a sip. How the excessive consumption of junk food and Junya's perfect curves coexisted escaped Suzuno. But as she did every time she thought about it, she dismissed the enigma to the back of her mind.

"Suzuno. You have to enter the talent show." Suzuno was so appalled at the comment she choked. Water dribbled from the corners of her mouth.

"Are you out of your mind!" She had a death grip on the corner of her desk and on her water bottle.

"Sure! You can recite a poem!" Junya smiled. "Your poems are so beautiful!" She nodded as if to confirm her comment before it was born from her perfect lips, "Everyone would love it!"

"Absolutely not!" Suzuno said without thinking about what she was saying.

"Now Suzuno, you know better than to try saying no to me. I bet by this time tomorrow you'll want to be in the talent show more than anything in the world. I'm doing a dance and Alan is doing is monologue." She smiled.

"Junya…" She sucked in a breath. "Even if I wanted to be in the talent contest, I couldn't. I have to run the light and sound." She pulled her light-book out of her bag as a backbone to the statement. "Look at all this work I have to do! No!" She opened the light-book and stared blankly at it. Now she was making excuses.

For a minute she let her mind wander at the possibility. She could see herself reciting a poem and then there would be applause from the audience, roaring cheers and whistling. Her eyes lit up and she struggled not to smile at the scene in her mind. She wanted the world to hear her. She wanted to be known as more than someone behind the scenes, as a person with deep feelings that could be heard just as good as a song or a dance interpretation. This made her fingers itch to write.

The talent notes caught her gaze. No… she'd never be able to get over her fear of the stage… or more importantly, her fear of ridicule. She had to do light and sound. No one could replace her. There was no way. Was there? …


	2. A Matter of Life and Death

**A Matter of Life and death**

Darkness filled the country roads out of Sairou, the desert kingdom. It was called that in Hokkan because of the fact that it was surrounded on three sides by desert. On its other side were mountains and rich forests. But on this side of Sairou...the soil was no so lucky. Sand blanketed this region and the sun beat down hour after hour...tirelessly working to bake all that set foot in its path. But by the time this particularly dangerous situation was coming into being, it was getting just cool enough for marauders to try to raid the caravans. In fact scores of caravans had been raided in the past few weeks. To further the danger, the Emperor of Sairou's caravan was traveling back from Hokkan that night.

Hokkan had just had a battle with an adjoining kingdom in its quest to expand. The Emperor Ukiyo had traveled there to ensure that Hokkan would not attack _them_. Though Ukiyo had full faith that the Emperor of Hokkan, a friend of his for many years, would keep his kingdom the way it was for a very long time. That done, the Emperor had traveled back in early morning because in the depths of his heart, he knew he could not escape the trials at the palace for one more day.

His soldiers captured thief after thief every day. He was the one that determined their fate. They all deserved death for stealing but some of them got jobs. He realized some of them had families. But for the marauders, there was no mercy. And for those there was only imprisonment then a swift and painful death.

Hearing a rustling from the desert bush he threw his gaze out of his window. He squinted and, for a split second, thought he saw a pair of eyes in between the dry thick branches of the brush. He looked away and sat back hard against his cushions.

"Emperor are you all right?" a guard asked as he walked alongside the carriage. Ukiyo looked at him and nodded regally, trying to remain strong even though he was afraid. He knew what he was carrying in the caravan. He carried it everywhere with him. It had become an omen of good luck to him. Byakko's Universe of the Four Gods sat at his side in a gold casing. His hand went to it for comfort.

'I shouldn't worry. Any man would have to be a fool to attack such a heavily guarded caravan.' he told himself.

He took a massive breath into his chest and let it out. He felt more confident now. But when he heard the rustling again, there was no pause. A man lunged soundlessly from the bushes and covered the Emperor's mouth.

"Pleased to meet you Emperor." A voice said from beside him as a knife went to his throat. A shadow slipped into the carriage in front of the Emperor, another agent of the marauders Ukiyo supposed. He made no immediate attempt to alert the guard. He didn't want needless death. And if these men were from the mountain clan he thought they were from, then there would be much death involved.

"Hello Emperor Ukiyo." The Emperor's eyes widened in realization and his mouth moved behind the man's hand. "Oh…is there something you wish to say?" He moved his hand for a moment.

"You vile traitorous-" His hand clasped over the Emperor's mouth again and the rest of the sentence was muffled. He struggled only to have the blade pressed against his throat further. But the cut felt like nothing compared to his rage. Blood trickled over his adam's apple.

"I wouldn't use such words here Emperor." His other hand reached over and took the casing from the Emperor's side. Ukiyo struggled again, this time more furiously. His throat took more of the dagger's blade. The traitor looked into his eyes. "If you move or speak, I'll shred the scroll into dust." Ukiyo was still as the traitor moved his hand from his mouth.

He took out the scroll and looked over the markings on it. His yellow eyes gleamed in the darkness and then he smiled an evil smile the Emperor had never seen. Before the Emperor could say or do anything, the two were gone in a blink. He alerted the guards the moment he could and most of them went off into the bushes. Ukiyo's royal robes weighed him down and he cursed the day he became Emperor. He sat, scantily guarded in his carriage. The guards returned with nothing and the journey was made to the palace.

As he sat in his room, sleepless, Ukiyo vowed to get back the scroll no matter what. If the scroll were used for evil, surely the kingdom of Sairou would diminish in the desert sands. For the sake of everyone in his kingdom, he _had_ to get that scroll back.

Suzuno sat back from the light book and smiled at her work. Everything was perfectly graphed and planned. Now all she had to do was be there for the show tomorrow. The afternoon was fading quickly, she noticed as she stretched behind her desk. The window showed the world winding down for sleep. She smiled as two birds chased each other through the trees. How it resembled a dance to her. If only she could dance like that she could…

'Don't think about it Suzuno.' she thought to herself. She sighed and drew the blinds closed. She looked down at the light-book and to her bottom desk drawer where she kept all of her writing books. The house was silent and she was alone. Her father had had to work late. She opened the drawer and lifted a notebook out of it.

She flipped through the pages and stopped to read a few. Aloud she read the last one she'd written:

The Crystal Forrest gleams

In its immortal silver seams

Sealed away from human eyes

Therein is where the Elven palace lies

Far from the eyes of the ones before

Away from the treacherous hands of war

Through which the silent rivers flow

Where blooming silver roses grow

There the Elven princess glides

At the edge of the rivers' gentle tides

There is where her prince will ride

Across the quiet countryside

In the strength of their love, he quickens his stride

So he can make her his Elven bride

She flipped a page but to her surprise she wasn't faced with another blank page. It was the end of the book. She frowned and went looking for another in the drawer but there were none to be found. Perhaps her father had one he wasn't using. She laid the book in the drawer and went into her father's study. Clicking on the light she saw her father's desk and computer. On the wall were several bookshelves filled with all sorts of books. She loved the feeling of her father's study. It was a nice place to read. He had a fireplace at one corner of the room where she could read in the winter.

It would pleasant to do so. But after a while, she'd not get to indulge in the delights of home any longer. She would be going off to college. She didn't want to go in all truth. She didn't want to leave her friends and her home. But it would become so. It was her father's expectation after all and she wouldn't dare disappoint him. She sighed at the fireplace and walked over to trace he father's desk with her fingers. She'd have to leave all of this.

She came to the right side of the L-shaped desk. There she spotted a package. Curiosity filled her as she eyed the brown paper package. On top of the book sat a funeral program. Her curiosity was abandoned for sadness. One of her father's friends had gone crazy and committed murder and then suicide. She had always looked to that close friend as an uncle. She saw his daughter as a sister and close friend. But she was gone too. That's who had been murdered. She shuddered at the thought. She wondered what her uncle had left her father. She pulled the funeral program away and examined top of the brown paper package.

'It seems ordinary to me,' she thought. She turned it over to see in a dark foreign handwriting "Do not open". Her curiosity returned and the package seemed brighter, filled with light. She pulled at the packaging and it fell away from the book. It was a tattered book with several scuffs and scratches. She looked at it, noticing the writing on the cover.

"The Universe of the Four Gods." she said aloud to herself. She opened the book and examined the pages. Perhaps it was a book just made to look old like those journals in the bookstores. She smiled. It must be a journal she was going to get for Christmas. She giggled and clutched the book to her chest as she left the study.

She sat down at the desk and opened it. She smiled at the pages. They were yellow and coarse in material. 'Must be recycled.' she thought. She took a pen out of her desk drawer and began thinking of what to write. For at least an hour she tapped her pen against her chin. She folded her arms over the book and laid her chin on them, laying her pen down. Evening became night outside her window.

Within minutes she found herself napping. And even though she was sleeping lightly she began dreaming. Again there was the darkness where all her dreams originated. Then there was the same eye she had seen on the path to school. Her dreamself shielded her eyes and she saw a figure in the eye-shape. It was a handsome man with long dark hair and soft eyes. He was bent over a potted plant. But he was dressed strangely, as if he were in a play about ancient Japan. For a moment she didn't understand. Who was this man that she was dreaming about?

Was he the cause of all of the strange occurrences that day? She tried to call out to him but she didn't know his name so her mouth remained half open. "He _is_ handsome isn't he?" She said to herself in the dream as if watching from a window to the inside of a room where he couldn't hear her. But then he looked up into her eyes. She was awe struck. There was more to this man than the vision she was having. Suddenly she filled with understanding of something deeper and yet the meaning behind this feeling was still a mystery. Who was he and why did she dream about him?

Her head shot up from the desk at the sound of a closing door. She whirled around. Her book! She dropped it into her drawer and ran across the hall into the office.

"Suzuno?" She heard her father from the living room. "Suzuno I'm home!" She quickly cleaned up the mess she'd made and then stood rigidly when her father saw her from the door of the study.

"I cleaned your study for you father." She said with a nervous smile. Her father didn't detect the plasticity of her expression.

"Thank you darling. What did you do with the package and the program?" He said with a smile, hanging his coat on a hanger in the coat closet. She had followed him out into the hallway.

"I put them away in the bookshelf." She said as she clutched the brown paper behind her back. "Anyway, I've got to finish my homework and be off to bed, goodnight!" She slipped into her room, chiding herself quietly for stumbling over her words. Her father lifted an eyebrow but shook it off. She sat back down at her desk and stuffed the paper in the top drawer. She opened the book again and began to write. She had her inspiration now.

When she sat back from her poem she marveled at the words, the artful way she'd formed the words. She'd never written such a good poem before. She was extremely proud of it and for a moment, she could see herself reading it on the stage in front of a crowd of people. She smiled. It felt right. It felt right for some reason. She knew it deep inside. It was meant to be. Now the only question was…how could she face Junya telling her "I told you so"?

The desert burned with its usual passion, sand heated like an oven there in the desolate wasteland surrounding Sairou. The man stumbled through, complaining in his head about how hot it was. There was no point in verbalizing his complaints. It would only waste valuable moisture in his mouth. He looked towards the sun and squinted angrily. Returning his attention towards his goal, he thought about his quest.

The Emperor of Sairou had put out an edict proclaiming that anyone who could find the band of thieves who'd stolen Byakko's Universe of the Four Gods and retrieve it safely would be a very rich man and advisor to the Emperor. He wanted this and some water. Water would have been nice. But he'd been robbed of most everything he'd been carrying. Thieves were all that was plentiful in the desert hills and mountains. All he had now was the one thing no one could take from him while he was alive. He clutched the chain of seeds around his neck.

Each seed contained a plant that he could control. He knew that with his skills as a fighter and his powers, he could find the scroll and bring it back to the Emperor. He had faith in the stars and faith in himself and that usually got him by. He was destitute though, he could admit that quickly. He had no money and hardly anyone was hiring anymore now that the men were coming back from war. Before there had been plenty of positions for women who needed chores done that normally their husbands or sons would do.

But the city of Sairou was only a few hours away and he wouldn't stop. He couldn't stop. If he did he knew he might die. There was no water in the desert, not even an oasis that he'd seen. Only death and heat…and the occasional desert plant that had no water to offer. When the city walls began to loom into sight, he heaved a sigh of relief. Finally he could rest.

Walking through the city of Sairou was a chore. The city itself was miles and miles in diameter. The palace loomed on a hill in the distance. The markets were bustling and full to the brim. 'That's the big city for you.' He thought to himself. But how he was going to get to the palace and afford staying in an inn before setting out was the question. What he needed now was water. Spotting a well, he stopped and drew up the bucket. He dipped his hand in and took a refreshing sip. He felt a second wind coming on when he heard a voice from behind him.

"Are you going to pay for that?" He turned to see several large men surrounding a slightly smaller one, the one possessing the annoying voice that had just addressed the question. The two thugs looked as if they didn't possess a brain cell to save their life. Their thick arms rose out of their garments and their height brought them at least a foot over the foreigner's head. But he showed no fear...as he had none. He didn't worry about taking care of these men. First he would try to outwit them.

"Pay for water?" He lifted an eyebrow. "Where I come from, water is the most abundant resource." He crossed his arms over his chest, leaning against the well.

"Here water is a precious commodity. It's taxed here and judging from your clothing it shows you're foreign. So there's an extra tax for outsiders." He outstretched his hand. "So pay up." A tax ay? Who would tax water in the middle of a desert? Did poor people die of thirst then?

"Where I come from, it's lush and green and we get rain frequently. There, sand is something you hardly see. If you lived there would you pay for sand?" He remained unmoving; the stranger and his thugs looked confused for a moment.

"No more games boy. Pay up or you'll die." The villain smiled crookedly.

"I have no money." He stood straight and put distance between his legs, observing his fighting stance. He cracked his neck, tossing his head from side to side. "So I guess you're just going to have to try to kill me."

The first thug lunged at him in an attempt to take out his left side. He failed miserably, crashing into a pole that supported the roof of the well. He fell unconscious to the ground. The second grinned, feeling obviously a lot more confident. But his maneuver towards the foreigner's legs was avoided by a jump that landed him on the roof of the well. He looked down at the remaining smaller man.

He stood there with his mouth open. "I'll get you yet you thief." He began climbing the bricks of the well and just before he could reach the top and the foreigner, vines seized him on all sides. He wiggled helplessly inside the hold of the rope-like vines. In the palm of the foreigner's hand was a small seed. From it had sprung the vines that held the thug in place. "How did you…but…" He looked angrier and spit flew from his mouth as he hissed. "What _are_ you?" His thugs sputtered and regained consciousness behind him.

"A foreigner…here to do the bidding of the Emperor." He said, his arms crossed and another jump sent him out of view, leaving the thugs struggling at the well. He landed a few stalls away and filtered through the crowds. If the thieves who'd stolen the scroll were as weak as those ruffians back there then he'd have no problems defeating them. He stopped at the front gate of the palace where a group of men were gathered and a line to the door of the palace was forming.

The foreigner stopped in front of a guard. "Excuse me is this the palace?" He indicated the large house behind the guard, towering so high that its shadow spread over the courtyard. The guard raised an eyebrow and looked at the foreigner as if he were an idiot.

"If you a see a palace anywhere else in the city, I'll eat my helmet. Of course this is the palace foreigner!" He shook his head.

"Thank you." The foreigner bowed and began walking towards the gate when a man outstretched his hand and stopped him from progressing forward.

"Hey there's a line here. Get to the end if you want to see the Emperor." There were a good fifteen men in front of the man who'd halted the foreigner. He stepped back away from the disgruntled warrior and took his place at the back of the line.

'There has to be a faster way to get into the palace.' he thought. He could try climbing the walls but decided against it. The warriors at the front of the line would send him back. He could try sneaking around to the back of the palace but that would be fruitless. He pursed his lips in thought and then he noticed to the disgruntled warrior he'd spoken to before. He walked up to the man and bowed to him when he had his attention.

"I apologize in advance." He said gallantly.

"Wha... ?" The foreigner's fist met with the warrior's face. He fell to the ground and shook his head.

"Why you little…" He shot to his feet and began sparring with the foreigner. The guards restrained both men.

"Both of you are going to prison for disturbing the peace. Then the Emperor will have you both hung for causing a public brawl!" The first guard said.

'This is more like it.' The foreigner thought. Now that he had a ticket into the palace, he could see the Emperor with no problem. 'Then I can be sent out on this quest and finally start my life.' he thought. The guard tightened his grip on the foreigner's arms. 'But perhaps it won't be that easy.' he reconsidered. When they were put into their holding cells it became apparent that his worries were confirmed. Getting out of the stone-walled cell would be no easy feat. Looking around the cell he thought about the methods he'd used to get out of a locked room before. He spied a crack in one of the walls and had an idea in no time. With help from one of his seeds, the crack could become a door. He lifted a seed in his palm towards the crack and bid the vines to part the wall. The wall crumbled at the fingers of the vine's leaves. When the guard had passed over during his rounds he slipped out.

"Now to find the throne room", he told himself. He searched the hallways for a door, any clue that would lead him to the throne room. But scarcely had he taken a few steps, he heard shuffling footsteps coming down the hall.

"So I told the wife to go ahead and buy the vase and then the baby broke it last week." He heard guards chatting as they walked down the hall. "All that money spent on nothing." He ducked into a doorway. There was dim light behind him but it was quiet, perfect for hiding from guards.

"State your name man." He heard from behind him. He turned to see a full slew of guards surrounding the throne of the Emperor. He'd stumbled into the throne room. He stuttered for a few moments, settling from the start he'd suffered from so many soldiers. He dropped to one knee.

"Your majesty." He stuttered for a moment and then regained his senses. "I am a foreign warrior who has come to answer your edict. My name is Tatara" He looked up at the Emperor and waited. The Emperor looked back, stroking his chin with his hand as he scrutinized the boy in front of him.

"There have been 5 men before you have taken on this quest. I have given them all leave to try." He sat silently for a moment. "What makes you think you are better than these men?" He waited for an answer. His hand lowered and he looked down his nose at the foreigner.

"I have certain powers and my fighting skills are exceptional." He said as he breathed deeply. He needed the chance to do this. 'Please' he begged Byakko 'Please let him see that I'm worthy of the quest.' But just as he thought the Emperor would laugh in his face and turn him away, his highness spoke up.

"Show us your powers." The Emperor remained silent as Tatara removed a seed from his necklace. He licked his lips and pressed the seed to them. He held it out in his hands and a vine shot from the tiny seed towards a guard. On the back of his right hand a Japanese character glowed white. The vines lifted the guard 20 feet into the air. Manipulating the vines, he swung the guard around several times and then set him down gently where he once stood. No answer came for a while. Nervously Tatara kneeled once more.

"Please give me a chance highness." He looked up with a degree of desperation that the Emperor had never felt in any man.

"That character on the back of your hand. Where does it come from? Who gave you such a clever tattoo?" He stood and ascended the steps leading to his throne.

"I was born with it highness. It's the source of my power. But I've never known where it came from or why I have it." He blinked, not understanding why he was asked such a question.

"Stand, Tatara of the Byakko Seven." He walked the remaining space between them. "Your coming here was not in vein. You are one of the Byakko Seven, a group of celestial warriors meant to protect the Priestess of Byakko at all costs." He stopped speaking as if waiting for Tatara to say something. Tatara only blinked. 'A celestial warrior?'

"I don't understand highness." He said quietly. "What do you mean?" He rubbed the top of his right hand where the character always appeared.

"Leave us!" The Emperor commanded his troops. They were taken aback but left as soon as they'd gathered their wits. Once the room was empty, he walked back to his throne.

"Sairou is in danger. Months ago I took on an advisor to help us defeat the bandits that were ransacking caravans and businesses all over the kingdom. We did well for a while, too well now that I look back. Sairou was virtually crime-free." He rubbed his forehead. "But this advisor disappeared and a few days ago he stole Byakko's Universe of the Four Gods." He paused, his words not seeming so strong any more. "I was a fool to accept his help. He only became my advisor to gain my trust so that he could find out all the secrets of Sairou."

"This traitor, who does he work for?" Tatara already didn't like the sound of where the situation was going.

"The Shikyo mountain clan." He almost sounded afraid, Tatara noted. And who wouldn't be afraid? The Shikyo Mountain Clan was really a kingdom that dominated the mountains. Their population of bandits contained twice as many soldiers as the armies of Sairou.

"It won't be soon before they find the priestess of Byakko and force her to summon Byakko. Sairou will be destroyed…"

"…By its own protector." Tatara finished the Emperor's sentence. The Emperor nodded and heaved a deep sigh. His fingers traced the ridges of worry in his forehead.

"Which is why it is imperative that we find the scroll. It is of the utmost importance that you don't falter in this quest. I already know the others will not return." Sadness clouded his eyes.

"I shall not fail." Tatara said quietly.

"No. You will not go to the Mountain kingdom alone." the Emperor protested. He held out his hand. "You will seek out the Priestess of Byakko and then she will find the six other members of the Byakko Seven." He closed his eyes, lowering his hand. "If you fail…very soon this land will be gone."

"Will you do this Tatara? Do you accept the mission?" A silence fell between them as Tatara thought of the consequences.

"I accept."


	3. Night

**Night**

"I won't say a word." Junya said as she held up her hand. "Scout's honor." She lowered her hand. "Now tell me the secret!"

"Ssshhhh!" Suzuno clamped her hand over Junya's mouth. "Don't attract attention or people will hear!" She moved her hand away and leaned in close so only Junya could hear.

"I wrote a poem for the talent show." She smiled as Junya glowed.

"I told you! Didn't I tell you!" She squealed happily. Suzuno scoffed.

"You said you wouldn't say anything. You gave me scout's honor!" She crossed her arms over her chest.

"Well...I'm not a scout." Junya grinned.

"Mm hmm. You always were good at inventing loopholes." Suzuno shook her head slowly. "Anyway. I got Mr. Suzawa to cover light and soundboard for me. He was coming to watch the show anyway."

"Well you know me. So what is your poem? Are you going to show me?" Junya smiled brightly, tauntingly in fact, probably still inwardly gloating at the fact that she had been right about Suzuno wanting to be involved with the talent show.

"Hmm.... I don't know." Suzuno said as she pulled her journal from her school bag. She waved it in Junya's face. "I'm thinking of letting everyone find out what it says when I tell it on stage!" She laughed, hugging the book to her chest as Junya swiped at the air for it.

"Now don't be cruel Suzuno." Junya crossed her arms over her chest. "What about Camille? She's not even going to be here for the talent show! Are you going to show your best friend?" She grinned.

"Camille is going out of town?" Suzuno looked surprise.

"No.... Suzuno...she's moving. She didn't tell you?" At Junya's words Suzuno froze.

"...Moving?" Her fingers wrapped tighter around her journal. For some reason it comforted her. "No....this can't be! She would have told me! Don't fib like that!" Her sudden sadness gave her little time to restrain her tears.

"Oh...Suzuno... It'll be all right. She said she'd write us all everyday. She promised." Junya's hand went to her shoulder. "It'll be all right." She gave Suzuno a reassuring smile. "Come...let's go talk to her about it."

"...Talk? ...Ta..." Her vision blurred in front of her and her face drooped. She was in shock. She couldn't believe it. She wouldn't. She had been Camille's friend since she could remember. "N...no....she can't be leaving! I'll never believe it." Her school bag clattered to the ground and she took off running.

"Suzuno!" Junya called after her but to no avail. Suzuno needed time to mourn.

"Oyo...what's wrong with Suzuno?" Camille said, stepping up beside Junya. She looked down at Suzuno's school bag, the light-book peeking out from underneath the flap. She narrowed her eyes, understanding suddenly.

"So she found out huh?" She looked down in shame, tears coming to her own eyes.

"I should have told her sooner. I should have...been honest. Now she's so angry she'll never want to speak to me again!" Her papers slipped in her arms and she clutched them messily to her chest, most of them creasing under her arms.

Junya turned to Camille, putting the same reassuring hand on her shoulder. "No I'm sure Suzuno will be fine. She just needs time to regather her feelings. She'll be all right Camille. For a while, send your letters to her to my house. I'll give them to her when she wants to hear from you." A tear streamed down Camille's cheek.

"I should have told her." She said quietly. Her eyes met with Junya's. "Thank you Junya. Please tell Suzuno I'm sorry." She wiped the tears from her eyes. "I really wanted to say goodbye to her. Tell her she'll always be in my heart." Camille turned and walked away, the wind tousling her hair. Junya covered her mouth. Were things so easily thrown away between friends? At the very least they could have said goodbye to each other properly. After all, Camille was moving to America.

The land of Sairou remained relentlessly hot. Tatara set out, wondering why he ever left home in the first place. His mother...his father. He looked over the waving desert and the endless orange and yellow of sand. Nothing could grow here. Perhaps he was fool to try to embark on a quest in a land where his powers were nearly useless. At least the wind was cool today. It was a blessing compared to a week ago. He could barely breathe on the journey to Sairou. He shielded his eyes from a hot gust of wind blowing sand in a tiny cyclone. He stumbled in his short period of blindness and heard a crunch beneath his feet. When the sand cleared from his vision he looked down.

White fragments gleamed in the sunshine. He winced and began searching for anything useful in the man's belongings. He saw around the skeleton's neck a black ribbon with a silver crest. When he brushed the sand away it was an engraving of a tiger. He fingered his own crest around his neck. It was the same one given to all the men who'd embarked on the quest before him. Had this man left only a week before? Why was his body already dried to the bone? Was the sun so merciless? He found the man's satchel and his carafe was empty of water. There was no food left in the man's bag only a bit of gold.

He looked across the desert in all directions and then towards the direction of Sairou. Gold was useless here. None-the-less, he stuffed the pieces into his pocket and took whatever possessions would be of some worth. He decided to let the sand cover him...it would only be a matter of time. He couldn't waste precious energy and moisture digging a grave for someone who had long-since been dead. But no sooner had he taken a few paces but there was another crunch beneath his feet. He stepped away from it. Now he'd stepped on a hand. How many corpses were there out here?

"As you can see, the four that came before you have failed." A voice echoed through the breath of the desert. "Why have you come so far just to die?" A strong wall of sand knocked him to the ground. He braced himself back up onto his hands.

"Who's there?" He drew one of his seeds from the chain around his neck. He used discussion as a distraction to ready his powers.

"You will never know. I'm speaking to you through psychic means. That little sand trick was only a fraction of the force of my real abilities. I could snap your neck like a twig in one instant if I so choose." He could almost feel the smug figure smiling.

"I guarantee you, I'm much more different than my counterparts." Tatara answered. He narrowed his eyes towards where he thought the voice might be coming from. He closed his eyes and concentrated on his visualization of the desert landscape. He sensed a dark presence to his left and pressed the seed to his wet lips. He wished there were sufficient moisture in the air...he'd not be wasting his spit on summoning his vines. But it was necessary, he realized. He threw the vines towards the spot in his mind.

"I see you've found me. Perhaps you'll prove to be a more worthy adversary than I first supposed." The shadow moved in his mind. It was closer now. He concentrated again but little by little, anger began to cloud his thinking. 'No Tatara...think hard. You must not lose.' He fired his vines again at the shadow, where it had been repositioned. It lashed the figure on the leg.

"I'm done playing games you little fool!" The voice sounded agitated and its anger radiated with the heat of the sun. A shockwave disturbed the sand and threw Tatara backwards. "You were entertaining for a little while...but as you can see...when you disturb a bee, you shall feel its stinger!" He roared angrily as a stronger shockwave threw a wall of sand at Tatara once more, each grain like a sword cutting into him. Tatara jumped to his feet, the pain of little consequence. He concentrated as hard as possible. He was weakened but not put down.

"If this is a game...then it shall be you who loses!" He concentrated an energy blast at the shadow in his mind. It appeared that the blast had hit him but been deflected by an energy shield. The adversary's deadly red eyes pierced his mind. He'd been struck but unmarred.

"I think you need time. Killing you now would be too easy. But when you lie on your back in the end...you shall beg me for mercy... from Kenzanboushi, the psychic master of the Shikyo Mountain Clan!" His presence dissipated and Tatara fell to the sand. He was exhausted. Though he had managed a way to injure Kenzanboushi, but he had had to concentrate all of his life force. He wasn't so sure he would be able to face him and live to tell the tale...

Theater class came and nearly went without Suzuno knowing. The whole time she spent her tears behind a platform in the backroom of the theater. Camille was gone forever. Her poem meant so much more to her now. It _was_ about Camille after all. She had written about how best friends meant everything. But now...she wasn't so sure Camille wanted anything to do with her.

'Camille… Camille why?' The name kept echoing in Suzuno's head. It didn't make sense why Camille was just abandoning her like this. She looked up as she heard a noise come from around the corner. Tears misted her eyes; she remained silent. Suzuno looked up into Junya's face. Junya understood her pain, she realized. They'd been friends for as long as she and Camille. But for some reason...she had never gotten as close to Junya. Whatever reason had ever been the cause…it meant nothing now. Suzuno felt comforted just by the sight of her friend. And yet the cold void in her heart remained.

"Are you all right Suzuno?" Junya said quietly. "Why are you hiding in a corner? You're all alone." She squatted down and rested her hands on the floor.

"I want to be alone." Suzuno said, burying her face in her hands. "I just...I want to be alone." She wept into her sweaty palms. "I don't want to talk to anyone." Of course it was just the opposite. She wanted to speak to Camille…to say goodbye. But obviously…Camille had no plans to do so. She was going to a new place where she would replace Suzuno.

Junya's lips curled up in skepticism. "Are you sure?" She cocked her head at her friend and placed a hand on her shoulder. Her hands were warm, probably the only warmth Suzuno would feel for a long time. With Camille gone…her most vital link with life was gone. She'd never be able to replace _Camille_… That part of her heart would always be missing. She continued to weep. Junya stayed by her side.

'How can I read my poem now, knowing that Camille won't be there?' She thought. Unknowingly she had mumbled the question out loud.

"You can do it." Junya said. "Just remember. You'll always be in Camille's heart. She told me so herself. She loves you. It just hurt her so much to tell you. She didn't want you to be sad." She ran her fingers lovingly through Suzuno's hair.

"Oh Suzuno… You can do anything in this world that you aspire to do. You know that. You've heard everyone telling you that your whole life! Now go out and be it!" She smiled brightly…the same way she always did.

"Junya!" Her name was called from the stage. She turned her head over her shoulder and grunted.

"It looks like it's time for me to rehearse. Would you like to come and watch? … Best friend?" She smiled even brighter, if it were possible, her hand outstretched. Suzuno squinted more tears out of her eyes.

"Come on Suzuno." she said quietly. "Will you forget everyone else in the world?" She cocked her head to the other side.

"Junya!" The voice sounded a bit more impatient this time. Junya's lips curled in reiterated skepticism. She heaved a deep sigh.

"I know it'll take time." She said quietly. She stood and stepped away. "Just remember there are those that love you. That includes Camille." She left the back room and she announced gleefully that she was present.

Suzuno sniffed and wiped her eyes. 'I don't think you understand Junya. No one's understood me like Camille did.' More tears shadowed her eyes despite her attempts to clear them away. 'But you're right. I can't hide away and not read my poem. Maybe if I read my poem she'll come back.' Suzuno hoped for a miracle. If she never saw Camille again, how could she ever be happy again?

Before she could blink…the day of the talent show had come. However, hours before the doors were even open, Suzuno entered the theater and approached Mr. Suzawa.

"Mr. Suzawa." The aged man spun around in his chair. He'd been working on something at his computer desk beside the light and soundboards. He smiled and pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose.

"Can I help you with something Ms. Oosugi?" She smiled in return.

"I have a change for my act tonight." She held out a sheet of notebook paper. "I only wrote it down so there could be a note in the light-book about in the length of time I'm on stage."

The paper read 'Extended by 2 minutes.' Mr. Suzawa looked her with raised eyebrows. "Why the extension of time?" His interest piqued, he laid down the paper on his keyboard and braced his elbow on one of his knees and the other on the desktop.

"I have two poems to read." Suzuno said, smiling when inside she felt like crying.

"Two ay? Well…I can't wait!" He smiled brightly. He'd not heard any of her poems and was eager to get a peek into her mind. Hardly any person in the school knew her that well. Everyone was possessed by curiosity…if only a little.

Suzuno turned to leave. Two poems indeed. One was written for Camille and the other was written about the sadness she felt now that Camille had gone. Only…she hadn't written the second yet. Something kept her from writing until now. Now that the task was set forth, she had no excuse not to release her feelings onto paper.

Stars shown above Suzuno in the night sky. She sat leaning against an oak in her front yard. Her father was due home from work anytime. Her pen held over the second page in her journal, she waited. She'd kept it that way for least an hour…her mind wandering at what to write. 'Come on…concentrate Suzuno.' Thinking clearly came hard but slowly words began to come to her. They came so easily when concentration was achieved. Now if she could only find the courage to read them out loud.

Headlights flooded her vision as the car pulled into the driveway. If there was any courage in the world for her, now would be the time to try to summon it. She clutched the book to her chest and climbed into the passenger seat of the car. She laid the book in her lap, covering it with her hands. She didn't want her father to know she'd found her Christmas present.

When she arrived, everyone was getting ready. Junya was up first with her dance. She was doing a routine that she'd worked on with the dance teacher. Alan was up second with his monologue. Both were rehearsing when she entered the side-stage door. Other performers were warming their voices or stretching…or just plainly shaking their hands nervously. But for some reason…of all nights to be nervous…Suzuno wasn't. She was ready for the world to hear her. But she knew they'd never be able to fully understand.

"Hey! Suzuno!" Alan stepped up to Suzuno and slapped a friendly hand over her shoulder. "I'm glad you didn't duck out!" He grinned and ducked his head beneath his free arm. Suzuno shook her head and smiled. Alan…always a kidder. She began to walk over to a quieter part of back stage when he stopped her.

"Hey…I'm dedicating my monologue to you tonight." He winked at her and let her go. He turned his eyes to a sheet of paper that had been tucked under his arm. Junya waved to her as she passed her and she quickly waved back. She stared down at her journal. Everything looked right. Everything felt right. Now was just the interminable wait to be on stage.

Junya stepped onto stage as she was announced and some upbeat pop music began to play. She could imagine her twisting and turning her curvaceous body all over the stage. Junya loved to dance and Alan loved to talk. Both were expressing their passions. But what was Suzuno there for? She realized that besides being a painter and a writer, she had been a friend. That was a continuous work in itself. When Junya's music ended she took a bow and bounded off stage. She squealed happily and smiled brightly through her sweat glazed face.

Now it was Alan's turn. Suzuno and Junya stood as close to the backstage door as they could. If they stepped into the stage wings, they'd be seen by the crowd. This was the best place to hear what he was saying and still remain out of view. Now Suzuno only wondered why Alan was dedicating Hamlet's famous "To be or not to be?" monologue to her. What significance did it have to her?

The lights came up on him on center stage and he began to speak.

"Well my dear, I guess this is it. It's been fun hasn't it. It'll be hard to forget, so many memories. The only thing stopping us from seeing each other is time," at this, Suzuno's hand flew to her mouth and her eyes filled with tears, "and what is time" he continued "but a mere idea we as a human race invented to keep track of what happens. It would be easy to do away with time all together."

He sighed as if imagining some far off dream. "Imagine, that…no time. We could stay as long as we wanted to in one place and not have to worry about leaving. It would mean eternal happiness. Not just for us" he brought his hand to his heart "but for everyone. No more jobs nine to five, because 5:01 and 8:59 wouldn't exist. There would be no set time to return from a vacation or deadline for a book report in school. Time is only in our minds."

He paused, pointing to his temples. He lowered his hand.

"Unfortunately this is just a dream." A tear slid from Suzuno's eye and Junya took her into an embrace. "Time is as much a part of our society as speaking and listening. When our ancient ancestors first calculated how long a day was and how that fit into a month and how that fit into a year they never thought about how we should pass the time. We've had to suffer through that by ourselves. Is it easier for us as a species to block all feelings and memories until we see each other again?"

Another pause lifted to offer itself to the audience as Suzuno muffled her cries into Junya's chest. She fought against the truth of what Alan was saying. He had changed his monologue to something else entirely. Something for her…to console her.

"Yes -- is it healthier, no. We must realize that no matter how much it hurts to do so, these happy times we shared together will always be with us. Through good times and bad, through winter and summer. And when we need to we can rely on these happy thoughts to give us support when we need it most."

There was yet another silence and all the while, Suzuno's memories were flooding back to her. They were a flood of both happy and sad things…moments she'd always treasure the most.

"Hey, we'll meet again. It may be in a year, a month or twenty years from now, but this isn't goodbye. I'm so damn sure of that."

Suzuno felt his eyes on her and his soul comforting her.

"So wipe those tears off your face, smile and remember time doesn't have to be so long." Suzuno froze in shock. Yes. Time wouldn't be too long. Perhaps one day she would see Camille again. But there was only half a chance. Could she take it? It was her turn next. Did she have the courage? The time ticked as applause rang from the crowd. And of course, there was the occasional whistling of the more intensely passionate members. Suzuno couldn't hold back her tears. She let them flow. This was more than an act. This was her _self_. If she wanted to cry…then she'd cry. That's what poetry was about…feelings. Alan met her as she was being announced.

He gently brushed a tear from her cheek. "I didn't mean to make you cry." He said quietly with a soft smile. He hugged her tight and she let the last of her larger tears soak into his coat.

"It's all right." She said. "I needed to cry." She left him and moved onto the stage. The lights came up on her red and tear-stained face. She unfolded her journal in her hands as whispers of worry came from the crowd.

"My name is Oosugi Suzuno. I've come to read two poems. The first was written before a dear friend of mine moved away. The second was written after she had gone. She's gone now." She felt tears sting her eyes again. "But that monologue that you just heard gave me hope. Even if she never comes back. I'll wait for her." She smiled faintly.

She looked down into the book and for a moment felt as if she'd been knocked senseless. It was as if her mind was thrown into a different consciousness altogether. She shook her head and began to read.

"To Camille: My Best Friend

Friends are inseparable

That much is true

I have known this everyday

Since I met you

I know we will be together forever

We'll never be apart

You making happiness possible

Because you're in my heart

And though my words are simple

Though the rhymes are commonplace

They are true in their form

Because they're inspired by your face

You are always smiling, encouraging

You always restore my belief

I can be someone, anyone I want

You give me such relief"

She paused for a moment and collected her breath. This poem had come straight from her heart. Camille was so dear to her it hurt to remember her. But now she realized she _needed_ to remember her…even if she _was_ gone.

From the audience her father squinted and wondered silently at what book she was reading from. He'd never given her that book. She had no job…how did she get the money buy it. Her birthday wasn't for a while yet, so it couldn't be a gift. He rubbed his chin and listened to her reading. He knew the second poem would be far more heartfelt and sad.

"Here is the second poem. It's called 'Measuring Time'." She paused.

"I once tried to measure time with a ruler

But the ruler ran out

I shall try again, I reassured myself

Perhaps, I thought, time is measured in a smaller way

Perhaps it is measured across your thumb

But my thumb couldn't cover it by any means

Maybe it is measured in a thread of light

But no amount of light has stretched that far

For no matter how long you pull it

Night shall surely come"

Her eyes squeezed tight as the tears in her eyes began to fall onto the book pages. She began feeling odd as if she were wavering…her existence falling into the wind. Her fingers trembled. Was she nervous? No this couldn't nervousness. Nervousness didn't hurt like this. It was as if a throbbing overtook her brain and she felt someone watching her. Her senses returned to her and she shook her head again. She continued to read.

"When time stopped and I was reaching for you

I tried to measure how long we'd be apart

I tried to fit it in a thimble

But it was too wide and too deep

The ruler was simply lost

And I misplaced the light in my dark sadness

I held a picture of you and thought

As I cried helplessly

And reached out in sadness for you

Surely time is measured with love

For however long we feel love…time is at its fullest

And when night may approach

…When a thread of light is absent

A night of forever is not so long

As long as it is a moment of loving you"

She paused. The throbbing came back. This must be the work of her mind not to finish…not to let herself be heard. It was what had spoken to her before so many times in her life and told her to be silent and introverted. Sweat beads formed on her forehead as more tears trickled from her eyes. What was holding her back? More whispers rose from the crowd. 'Nothing's holding you back.' A voice said in the darkness of her mind. 'Finish what you started.'

"And if it _is_ a night of forever…

In it…I will to freeze in eternal waiting…"

She spit the words out, fighting her fears. A white light began eminating from the pages of the Universe of the Four Gods. It began filling the stage. Now was the time. 'Finish it!' She told herself. The white light softened for a moment and beneath the raspy whispers of the crowd, she looked up and met eyes with her father. A silver tear fell into the book.

"…and…disappear."

The white light filled the stage once more. The loud roar of a tiger echoed in Suzuno's ears. Her tears flew away from her face as a wind engulfed her. It captured her in a capsule of air and she was twisted in a vortex of time and space. The stage was suddenly empty and the book dropped to the stage.

Alan and Junya stood perplexed, their eyes wide with the terror of what they had just seen. Alan rushed to center stage and picked up the book. Junya followed close behind.

"It's a disappearing act!" Alan said with a nervous laugh. Junya shoved him off-stage.

"Please enjoy the rest of the show!" She said, equally nervous. They both disappeared into the wings of the stage. Suzuno's father rushed to the exit and soon found himself standing beside Alan and Junya. Their fingers trembled around the book.

"Where did she disappear to?" Suzuno's father asked. "It was all an act right? A surprise. Where is she?" He dropped to his knees in front of the two students who looked blankly back at him.

"We…we made it up so the crowd wouldn't worry. We don't…know where she is." Alan stuttered. "We…we have no idea." Junya hand covered her open mouth, questions filling her eyes as she stared at the book.

"That strange light." Her father said. "Open it." Almost as soon as he'd said the words the book opened in Alan's lap. A folded piece of paper lay in the pages like a bookmark. All signs of Suzuno's handwriting had disappeared. Oosugi's eyes flew wide open. He unfolded the paper within the pages and read aloud.

"Dear Oosugi,

I have no choice but to ask you to take care of the rest. There's no time. I found this ancient artifact. A scripture known as the Universe of the Four Gods, but the book absorbed my daughter, Tukiko. The book itself had magical qualities. My daughter became the main character and summoned Genbu and then came back to me. But my daughter then was in tremendous pain and agony. Every time she made a wish, my daughter's body was being devoured by Genbu. If my daughter's going to be devoured, I prefer to take her life myself and then take my own. But before I do that, I wanted to dispose of the book, but it wouldn't burn. The book must be waiting for the rest of the mikos - the mikos of Byakko, Suzaku and Seiryu. Please seal this book away in my place, my friend, as my final wish.

Einosuke"

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The monologue is not mine. It was written by Matthew Clearfield and can be found at ( )


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